Mettalic vehicle-wheel.



H. J, DONAHOE.

METALLIC VEHICLE WHEEL! APPLIOATIOH I'ILEDDBU. 12, 1910.

Patented June 18, N12.

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HEDLEY JOHN nominee, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR or ONE-Hans r'r'nsonoan c. rznnnsonn, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

METALLIC VEHICLE-WHEEL.

Specification of Letters Eatent. P t t d Ju 1 19 2,

Application filed December 12, 1910. Serial No. 596,841.

the following description of my said inven-. tlon, taken in connectionwlth the accompanying sheets of drawings, forms a full, clear,

' and exact specification, which will enable others skilled in the artto which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention has general reference to metallic vehicle wheels; and itconsists, es-

sentially, in the novel and peculiar combination of parts and details ofconstruction, as hereinafter first fully set forth and described, andthen pointed out in the claims.

The object of this invention is the production of a strong, durable,serviceable, cheap, and effective vehicle wheel formed entirely of metalin the process of casting,

said vehicle wheel being adapted for use in all kinds of vehicles, suchas carriages, wagons, automobiles, gun carriages, &c., and constructedfor operation with, or without resilient tires. To accomplish thesedesired results, I construct a metallicvehiole wheel,

as shown in the preferred embodiment of my invention, in theaccompanying drawings already referred to, in which- Figure l is a frontelevation of the said vehicle wheel. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of thesame on line w :c of Fig. 1, part of the figure being shown inelevation. Fig. 3 is a similar view of the -central portion of the same,the figure being drawn on an increased, scale. Fig. is a sectional viewof one of the spokes, on line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Like parts are designated by corresponding symbols of reference in allthe figures.

This wheel, in its preferred form, is produced entirely in. a singlepiece of casting, preferably of a uniform, lowcarbon steel. It comprisesa central hub 12, which has a tapering bore 13, and which is externallyscrew-threaded atboth ends at 1.4, 15, the former screw-thread beingadapted to re .ceive the usual oil cap 16, and the latter screw-threadbeing designed to receive the closing cap 17. In the bore of the hub 12there is located a tapering sleeve 18, made from a high-carbon steelsuitably hardened and ground, there being in the bore of this sleeve twooppositely-taperingrace-ways 1t), 19 constructed to receive rollerbearings 20, 20, of approved construction.

21 designates the axle, and 22, the spindle thereof, which latter partis located in the bore of the sleeve 18, as illustrated in Fig. 3.

23 designates the fixed rim or tread of the wheel. It is ofsubstantially semicircular transverse section, and it has upon its outerperiphery a central, outwardly-projecting rib 24, and leading therefrom,and transversely to the periphery of said rim, a series ofequally-spaced mud-lugs 25, the mudlugs on one'side of said centralannular rib 24 being staggered with reference ,to those on the oppositeside thereof. This rim 23 is connected. to the hub 12 by twoseries of.

curved spokes 26, 27, the curvature being somewhat less than asemi-circle, the series of spokes26 starting from one side of the medianline of the hub, and the series 27 starting from the other side thereof,both series of spokes being convergingly arranged so as to graduallymerge one into the other and finally terminating in the inner surface.of the rim, in the same plane, These spokes are curved in oppositedirections, the series 26 all curving in the same direction and theseries 27 all curving'in the opposite direction. These spokes beingangular in relation to the plane of the wheel, it follows that while thetwo series of spokes are just in contact with each' other at the hub orslightly overlapping each other, as indi:

cated in Fig. 2, they gradually merge one into the other at theintersecting points thus forming an integral bond to the spokes at eachintersecting point, so that a vehicle wheel constructed'in the mannerdescribed is extremely strong, yet comparatively light, while at thesame time the wheel can beproduced at a very reasonable'cost. At theangles formed by the intersecting spokes where they cross er'ch othernearest to the hub,

there are formed punctured lugs 28, to which may be secured the brakerim29, Figs. 1 and 2, and at the second intersection of said spokes thereare formed similar lugs 30,

adapted to receive the usual driving sprocket wheel 31.

In cases where the wheelie fastened to the axle and the driving powerapplied to the axle, I dispense with the roller bearing in the hub andsubstitute for the sleeve 18 a sleeve having a 'boresufiicient'ly smallin diameter to lit the spindle 22, by a close fit,

the wheel being secured to the spindle in,

any approved and eiiicient manner. To retain the sleeve in the hub, Iprovide a number of fastening screws 32, Fig. 3, or other suitable meansto accomplish the desired object.

I now desire to call attention to the fact that the entire wheel isreadily removed from its axle by releasing the screws 32 in thewheel-hub, leaving the sleeve 18, with its roller bearings intact uponthe axlespindle. This result is of considerable importance in caseswhere repairs to the tire become necessary, for the reason that repairsto pneumatic or resilient solid. tires,

ing one into the other at their intersecting points, the spokes beingcurved and the curvatures being in opposite directions as heretoforestate the whole being an integral body, possesses the quality of beingextremely strong, light, yet flexible, is not liable to rupture causedby jars and jolts over rough roads and pavements, nor by theever-varying expansion and contraction due to the influence of heat,thereby especially fitting this wheel for extensive travel in anycountry, over every class of roads and at all -"plane, said spokesintersecting-one another,

seasons of the year, with the positive assurance that accidents anddelays will not be caused by a failure of the wheels. It will be furtherobserved that this all-metal wheel. is also well adapted to receive theextremely wide fixed rims that are necessary where a' vehicle is usedupon sandy or wet soil, a fact that will be readily understood bypersons skilled in the art to which this invention appertains.

set of said curved spokesbeing likewise approximately tangent to saidhub but projecting in the opposite direction therefrom, said spokesintersecting one another at a multiplicity of points between the hub andthe tread and gradually merging into one another, the wheel being formedin one in tegral piece of casting.

2. A vehicle wheel formed integrally in I one piece ofcast metal,comprising, a figted rim or tread, a double series of curved spokes, anda central hub,-one series of-said spokes being curved in one direction,and the other series of spokes being curved in the opposite direction,one set of said spokes radiating from said hub on one side of the centerthereof, the other set of said spokes radiating from the, said hub onthe other side of the center thereof, said spokes gradually merging intoone another and finally all terminating at the tread in the same at aplurality of points between the hub and the ,tread.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have hereuntoset my hand 1n the presence of two subscribing wltnesses.

HEDLEY JoHN DONAHOE.

